Going Home
by Dratier
Summary: Something happened which caused Serena to leave home. Now eight years later, she returns and is (not really) ready to pick up the pieces of her old life. What happened to make Serena leave eight years ago? Will she be able to fix what she once had? **UPDATE** Next chapter "The Promise" has been posted.
1. Prologue

Prologue

The view outside the airplane window was incredible. Patches of clouds, white as snow and as fluffy as cotton candy, littered the sky. At times, the clouds break, revealing the ocean beneath. It spread endlessly in every direction, reflecting the light from the sun like a pane of glass. Besides the low hum of the jet engines, not a sound could be heard. It was serene, and almost anybody would find themselves in peace just from looking out that window.

Serena Tsukino stared blankly out at the view, her forehead pressed against the cold, hard plexiglass of the airplane window. As stunning as it looked, she didn't care about any of it. She didn't care about the clouds, nor the glistening water, or even the continuous hum of the engines. All she was thinking about was home.

Serena sighed and backed her head away from the window, a red mark left on her forehead where it had been resting against the window. She looked to her left to the seat next to her. Empty. Usually, Serena would hate sitting alone on a flight, especially one as long as from Tokyo to New York, but this time she felt the emptiness to be comforting. As Serena turned her head, a strand of her golden-blonde hair fell in front of her face and she blew it away thoughtlessly.

Serena's hair, when straight, reached all the way down to her thighs. Even at that length her hair remained perfect, without a single split end or imperfection, a fact which she was always proud of. She has her hair pulled up in two large buns on the top of her head, with tails hanging out the sides. Serena grinned slightly as she twirled one of the long tails continuously around her index finger. She wondered what everyone would think when they saw her still wearing the same hairstyle they always teased her over all those years ago.

Quickly, her grin faded and her once sparkling blue eyes grew distant. It had been almost eight years since she had seen any of her friends. It has been almost eight years since she left her old life behind to start anew. Her eyes began to well with tears at the thought of seeing them all again. She did not know if she was excited, or nervous, or terrified, or some unidentifiable mix of all three. A sudden jolt woke her from her thoughts and thankfully so, as she was about to lose control over her emotions once again. She had lost count of the amount of times she burst into tears on the ten hours she had already been on the plane.

Serena thought deeply about all of her old friends and smiled. There was a point in time where they were inseparable. Serena never did have a sibling, but found herself lucky to have four friends who she could confidently call her sisters. Perhaps that was the reason she found the idea of seeing them all again so terrifying. How is it possible to continue where you left off after so many years had passed? A small part of her would rather maintain the memories of what the five of them had than replace them with new, possibly bad memories.

Serena's eyes once again welled with tears, and a small part of her was thankful that she neglected to put on any eye makeup. Even though she had not seen any of her friends for eight years, not a single day passed that she didn't think of them. There was always an empty part of her heart which had at one point been filled by them. It stood as a reminder of what she lost, like a phantom pain where somebody's leg once was.

"I wonder if they think about me?" Serena thought out loud. A man sitting on the opposite side of the aisle looked up at her from his book with a bewildered look on his face before shaking his head and returning his eyes to the newest Stephen King novel. Serena had expressed her thoughts out loud often during the flight, unmindful to the strange glances she had been receiving from the other passengers.

'Why would they?' Serena thought again, this time to herself. The truth was she never expected to stay in Japan for so long. Her mother is Japanese and Serena had gone to Japan to spend the summer with her grandparents. That was eight years ago. A summer visit turned into attending university. It was then that Serena discovered something she is passionate about: photography.

Her photos had been featured in magazines and on websites. Most of her photos are of nature; photos of cherry blossoms traveling with the wind; photos of birds bathing in small ponds; photos of mountains towering above the clouds.

One reporter once wrote that her photos 'capture the beauty of the world that gets lost in everyday life.' Serena had the article framed and hung it on her wall. Another time, she had received a letter from Mina in which she wrote, amongst other things, having seen one of her photos in National Geographic. Serena had read the letter over and over, crying every time. She had taped the letter inside her diary, where it was kept safe.

"Mina," Serena thought, again out loud. Serena remembered talking to Mina before she left for Japan. She had explained her reasons for going; a secret Mina had promised to keep. Serena could not explain fully why she chose to console in Mina and her alone. Perhaps it was her carefree nature, her genuine kindness, or perhaps it was that Serena saw so much of herself in Mina. Regardless, Serena was confident that Mina has kept word, even after eight years.

Serena smiled as she reminisced, her tears continuing to flow freely. Next there was Lita. Whenever Lita was around, Serena felt confident that she could do anything. Beneath her tough, yet beautiful exterior was an equally as tough and beautiful girl. She never allowed anybody's opinions to bother her, even when she was at one point ridiculed for her height. She always stood up for what she believed in, even if others didn't agree. Still, when she baked, she expressed such a love so powerful that just tasting her desserts could put anybody into a good mood.

Then there was Amy. Amy was every bit as smart as she was beautiful. Even as a child, she knew that she wanted to be a doctor, and worked constantly towards that goal. Serena remembers the shy girl she met as a child, and how much she had blossomed since that time. Even though she was incredibly intelligent, she had never at any point in time made Serena or anybody else feel stupid. In fact, Amy respected every one of her friends just as much as they respected her.

Finally, there was Raye. She was the daughter of Serena's mom's close friend, so naturally the two of them were raised together as friends themselves. In fact, she was Serena's oldest friend, even though they were nearly polar opposites.

"Stop being a crybaby," Serena could hear Raye say in her head. She was always criticizing her over something. Raye was stunningly beautiful, and was the envy of almost every girl, and nearly unapproachable to almost every guy. Yet underneath it all was a spoiled girl who would truly frightening when she didn't get what she wanted. Still, she had a soft and gentle side to her that very few got the honor of seeing. While it would be difficult to find a worst enemy, it would be impossible to find a better friend.

Then of course, there was him.

Just then a man's voice spoke throughout the plane.

"We are about to make our approach. Please take your seats at this time as we begin our descent."

Suddenly, a feeling of panic overtook Serena as realization finally hit that she was returning home. Soon, she would be standing in her old town, in her old house, and seeing all of her old friends. She wished that the pilot could turn around the plane, or that she could jump out with a parachute even; anything but to face the people she left eight years ago. Serena laughed nervously.

"I really am a coward, Raye," Serena said, another tear making its way down her check. Just then, the seatbelt light turned on, and a knot grew in her throat. There was no choice and she knew it. She was going home.


	2. Chapter One: Going Home

Hey everybody! I want to thank all of you who read my prologue chapter. I want to apologize for a few things in advance for the shorter-than-usual chapters (at least compared to my other stories) thus far. For this story, I've found it to make more sense for the way I want to break up the story.

Anon, I do plan on resurrecting Vexation. It will probably be my next project after this. I will be updating my profile soon with the status updates on my past and future stories.

Anyhow, all standard disclaimers apply. Just in case you are all wondering, I am not Naoko Takeshi (sorry). Sailor Moon and its characters belong to their respective owners.

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Chapter 1

Returning Home

Serena stood at the baggage claim at JFK International airport. Luckily for her, the landing had been fairly smooth. She never minded flying too much, but always got worried when it was time to land. She had remembered Raye saying to her once, "Most plane crashes happen when they're landing."

That was when Raye joined Serena and her family on a vacation to Florida. Serena had discovered afterwards that Raye was only teasing her, but still managed to get nervous ever since. She remembered how much Raye laughed at her when she literally ran off the plane crying after it landed.

Serena sighed in defeat as she stood waiting for her bag to appear on the conveyer belt. She had hoped to get to the baggage area before the rest of the passengers on the flight arrived, but instead went to the bathroom first to wash her face. Thankfully, the cool water worked wonders on her puffy eyes. By the time she arrived to the baggage claim, it was already crowded with random people trying to shove in front of each other to be the first to claim their bags, like animals trying to get a drink from the only watering hole in the desert.

Serena stood in the back behind everybody, jumping to catch a peek of the conveyer belt. She cursed her short frame, envious of even some of the children who seemed to tower over her. She sighed again and surrendered herself to waiting. Serena wore a pink sweater and cream-colored pants, which hugged her legs, and a pair of gray boots which reached up to just below her knees. A gray scarf was wrapped around her neck, and she was wearing a gray and pink beanie hat with a single pom-pom on top. She liked the outfit not just because she found it to be cute, but because it made her look taller.

At only 4'11", Serena was always one of the shortest people wherever she was, even when she was living in Japan. However, now that she was back in America, she felt like a child compared to everybody else. It didn't help that the heavy camera bag over her shoulder was beginning to make her slouch. She considered putting it down on the floor for a while, but was afraid it would find a way of running away.

Slowly, the hordes of people surrounding the conveyer belt which carried the baggage began to clear, giving Serena the opportunity she was waiting for. Serena rushed forward, and to her delight, her bag was just emerging. It was a large white bag covered with a pattern of pink bunny heads. Serena thought that it was the perfect suitcase to own, since the change of somebody having a similar-looking one was slim to none, even though the already large bag looked enormous next to her. This time was no exception.

She snatched her bag and quickly exited to the lobby. Even though she was nervous to arrive home, she would rather be thrown right into the fire than be stuck in the airport for any longer. Upon exiting to the lobby, Serena was confronted with familiar voice.

"Usagi," the voice called. Serena looked over to see a beautiful middle-aged woman with dark hair wearing a long blue dress. Serena dropped her bags, no longer caring if they decided to grow legs.

"Mom," Serena cried and ran over to her mother. The two embraced, tears falling freely down their faces. People passed, some giving fleeting glances, but the two didn't care. It had been nearly a year since Serena last saw her mother, but it might as well had been a decade. The two continued to embrace for several minutes before finally breaking away. They both took a deep breath then giggled in unison, wiping the tears from their eyes.

"My God I've missed you, Usagi," Ikuko said between laughter. Serena rolled her eyes, still laughing.

"I can't believe you're still calling me by that stupid name," Serena said. "I _am_ 25 you know, and I do _not_ look like a rabbit." Ikuko smiled warmly.

"That's the nick name your Oba and Oji gave you. It's because of that silly hairstyle you love to wear." Ikuko patted Serena's head through her hat. Serena blew her cheeks up and covered her head with her hands, as if to project it.

"I like my hair," she said. The two burst into laughter again. After laughing for a few moments, her face grew more serious. "Mom, why isn't dad here?" Ikuko wiped some more tears away from her eye and laughed.

"Oh you know your dad. He'd probably be balling his eyes out, making a huge scene." Serena laughed. She could just imagine her father crying like a baby in the middle of the airport. Serena shivered at the thought of it. "Anyway, we should really get going. The car isn't going to wait forever."

The ride home was mostly uneventful. Ikuko bragged about finding a new cream that kept her face looking young and wrinkle-free. Serena laughed thinking of how little her mom had changed. Ikuko was in her mid 40's, but could easily pass for a woman ten to 15 years younger. She was always trying new products that advertised to make the user look younger. Serena didn't know if it were the beauty products or not, but whatever it was, it worked.

Serena told Ikuko about life in Japan. She had told her mother about her photos having been featured in several different magazines.

"That's amazing, Usagi," Ikuko responded sincerely. "But you know what I really want to know about?" Serena rolled her eyes. She had known that eventually the conversation would have reached this point.

"No mom, I haven't met anybody." Every single time that Serena and her mother spoke, she always asked the same question, 'Have you met a guy yet?' While Serena had gone on a few dates, she had never once had a boyfriend.

"Well I'm just beginning to worry, Usagi, you might be…"

"Stop it right there," Serena quickly cut her off. "I'm just not interested," Serena lied, diverting her eyes to outside the window. The truth was she wanted to have a boyfriend. In fact, she considered herself to be somewhat of a hopeless romantic.

"Well perhaps you'll meet a man here." Serena rolled her eyes again.

" _Well_ ," Serena began mockingly, "I'm only staying here 'till New Years, so I don't think that's possible." Ikuko sighed, knowing that she shouldn't push the issue any further. Her face became serious as she looked over to Serena again.

"Serena," Ikuko said. Serena turned her head away from her window to look at her mother. It was very rare that Ikuko referred to Serena by her real name, and it usually meant that it was something important. "You know everybody missed you." Serena looked at her mother questioningly. "All your friends missed you, Serena. It's been so long since you've seen any of them." Serena diverted her eyes.

"As if they remember me," Serena muttered, her voice a mix of hurt and doubt, and perhaps a pinch of hope. "I mean I haven't even spoken to them for so long. I'm sure they have their own lives by now." Ikuko smiled warmly and stroked Serena's shoulder, prompting her to turn back to her mother.

"When I told Raye, she could barely contain herself."

"You told Raye?" Serena didn't understand why she was so surprised.

"Of course! They all know," Ikuko replied. Serena began to feel panic setting in again. She knew that she was going to have to see them all again. In fact, she wanted to see them all. Still, she didn't think that it was going to happen so soon. She was hoping to wait at least a few days, or weeks even. How could she wait now that they know that she's home? She was snapped out of her thoughts once again by the voice of her mother.

"We're almost here," Ikuko said. Serena looked out the window. Not only were they almost home; they were on her street. It was the street she grew up on; a small street in a small Long Island town. Yet, such a small street held so many memories. The car then stopped and Serena knew they had arrived. Sure enough, they were in front of her house.

It was a small ranch on the corner with white vinyl siding and black shutters. The lawn, usually a vivid green, was browned slightly with the coming of winter. Still, not a single leaf was on the lawn. A small tree was in the front yard. During the spring and summer, it grows the most beautiful white flowers, which when autumn arrives, falls like snow. The upkeep of the house was always the pride and joy of Serena's father. Serena smiled upon looking at the house.

"Home sweet home," Serena whispered. Again, she felt her mother's warm hand on her shoulder.

"Let's go home," Ikuko said. Serena nodded and smiled. For the first time, she felt comfortable and a little excited. They gathered their bags from the trunk of the car and began to walk up the pathway to the front door. Serena found herself reeling with excitement. She couldn't wait to see her father, sleep in her old bed, and eventually see her old friends. Right then, she noticed a fairly large amount of cars in the driveway on along the sidewalk. Serena gulped as her mother opened the front door and guided Serena inside.

"SURPRISE!" shouted a large group of voices. Serena remembered seeing only blurry figures. All except for one: a tall, handsome man with dark hair and striking blue eyes.

"Darien," Serena said before everything went dark and she collapsed to the floor.

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Well that was definitely a bit of a surprise for Serena, pun not intended. What's going to happen next? Will we find out why Serena left? And what exactly happened between her and Darien? If you like this story and want to see what happens next, please follow and keep reading. Until then, have a good one and thanks for reading.


	3. Chapter Two: September 2003

**Hey everybody! Sorry it took me a few days to get this chapter out. However, I was able to make it quite a bit longer than my last two, so I hope it makes up for the delay. I hope you guys really enjoy this chapter. Please remember to review and let me know what you think.**

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Chapter Two

September 2003

"Darien, wait up!" Serena called between breaths. Darien stopped walking and turned around to face her, his face a mixture of amusement and frustration. A young girl ran to catch up with him, her long golden tails flowing behind her. A large backpack hung on her back and she thumbed the straps around her shoulders for extra support. An equally-large backpack was slouched over Darien's right shoulder.

Serena finally caught up with him and opened her mouth to talk, but couldn't find her voice between gasps. Darien felt the strap of his backpack slipping and reset it over his shoulder.

"Darien, you're too fast," Serena said finally. Darien grinned and patted her head, causing Serena to grimace.

"You're too slow, Meatball Head," he quipped, much to Serena's frustration.

"Don't call me that!" Serena stomped past Darien. After a few steps, she stopped and turned back around on her heel. "These," Serena began, pointing at her head, "are _not_ meatballs." She turned around again and continued walking down the sidewalk.

It was a beautiful September morning. The air was cool, and a slight breeze blew through the air. Darien could feel the breeze as it blew against his face. Serena continued walking briskly, her tails bouncing with each step. Darien laughed to himself, wondering how her stamina had suddenly increased so quickly. He picked up his pace to catch up with her.

'Girls are scary,' Darien thought as he caught up with the young girl.

"You should thank me," Darien said. Serena answered him by walking a little faster. Darien grinned from ear to ear at her response. He knew exactly how to press her buttons and loved getting a reaction out of her. "I'm gonna be late because of you."

"Then don't walk with me!" Serena continued walking, refusing to even turn her head in his general direction.

"You don't have much of a choice," Darien replied, amusement abundant in his voice. Serena felt her eyes twitch from anger. She knew Darien was right, and she couldn't stand it. Her and Darien's Junior High School was walking distance from their houses. Still, her mother did not allow her to wake the journey alone. Darien lived directly across the street from them, so Ikuko made a deal with Serena: she could walk to school, but only with Darien. Serena thought that it beat the embarrassment of being driven to school every day by her mother. She was beginning to regret that decision.

A car horn sounded behind the two of them, causing them both to jump. They both turned around to see a black Cadillac pulling alongside them. Darien looked at the car curiously. Serena knitted her brows in agitation. 'Show off,' she thought.

The rear passenger-side window rolled down to reveal a young girl with raven-black hair and dark, piercing eyes. Through the opening of the window, Serena could see the navy-blue jacket and red crossover tie of her school uniform.

"Hey Darien," the girl chirped. The girl then turned to Serena. "Hey Usagi," she jested.

"Shut it Raye," Serena snapped, much to Raye's amusement. Unlike Serena and Darien, Raye went to a private school. Ikuko had explained to Serena once that Raye's father made it big in investment banking and has his own company. Serena didn't understand completely what she meant; only that Raye's family was rich.

"Don't call me that," Serena said through clenched teeth. Darien laughed at her reaction. Serena turned to him and in a sudden movement, kicked him in shin. Darien wasn't laughing any more after that.

"Wanna go to the arcade later?" Raye changed the topic. Serena's eyes softened and her face lightened up. She always loved going to the Crown arcade after school with Raye. Sometimes Darien went too, but it wasn't very often.

"Of course!" Serena responded, her anger towards Raye completely forgotten. Darien shook his leg in an attempt to get rid of the dull pain. He remembered at that moment that sometimes he can push her a little _too_ hard.

"I'll pick you up after school, 'kay?" Serena nodded. "Bye Darien. Bye Usagi!" Raye waved as her window rolled up, hiding her behind the dark, tinted glass. The car drove off and Serena waved after it, smiling.

"Girls are scary," Darien thought again out loud. Serena turned to face Darien and he swore he could see fire burning in her eyes.

"What was that?" Serena asked, raising up her shaking fist. Darien gulped and turned away.

"Nothing," Darien lied. "Let's hurry!" Darien continued walking at a brisk pace. Serena gasped as she remembered the time and started after Darien.

"Wait for me!" she called behind him.

Serena ran into her classroom, causing everybody in the room to look up at her. Serena silently walked over to the only empty desk. A girl with the same golden-blonde hair as Serena was sitting at the desk behind it. She was smiling and waving her hand. Serena sat at the desk in front of the girl.

"Good to see you starting the school year on a good foot, Serena." The voice belonged to Serena's homeroom teacher, Miss H.

"I'm sorry Miss H." Serena said, dropping her head. Miss H. sighed and turned to face the rest of the class. She was a young woman in her mid 20's. Her long, wavy, reddish-brown hair flowed down her back. Many people had described her as being pretty, though the adjective Serena heard most often was 'scary'.

"So as I was saying," began the teacher, "they moved me up to teaching in the seventh grade, so we all get to spend another year together." She was answered by groans.

"Anyway," Miss H. quickly changed the topic, "how was everybody's summer?" Suddenly, the room came alive with the voices of every student trying to talk simultaneously. Miss H. looked overwhelmed, knowing she had just opened a can of worms. Serena felt a tap on her back and turned around to face the pretty girl with the long blonde hair. She kept her hair straight, with a red ribbon clipped to the top of her head, tied into a bow. Her blue eyes were glowing with excitement. If it weren't for her different hairstyle, the two could be mistaken for twins. In fact, sometimes they were.

"Hey Mina," Serena said with a smile. Mina smiled back mischiefly.

"Did you hear?" Mina asked. Serena shook her head. "Miss H. got _engaged_." Serena coughed and looked over at the teacher, who was beginning to panic amongst all the shouting. Sure enough, she was wearing an engagement ring; a gold one with a single diamond in the center. Serena turned back to Mina.

"Who would marry _her_?" Serena asked. They both laughed uncontrollably. Two desks over, Serena saw a girl she didn't recognize. She had short dark hair and was wearing a modest blue dress. The girl was reading a book through her thick-rimmed eyeglasses, which partially hid her dark blue eyes.

"Who's that?" Serena asked, gesturing over to the girl. Mina looked over to where Serena was facing and quickly turned back to face her.

"That's Amy," Mina said, matter-of-factly. "She's super smart. I heard her IQ's over 200."

"No way!" Serena exclaimed. "Is that good?" Mina laughed.

"That's super good," Mina replied. Amy turned from her book and looked over at the two girls, who quickly looked away. Amy, appearing slightly hurt, looked back down at her book. Serena glanced back over to her. She didn't understand why, but she knew she wanted to be friends with that girl.

"ENOUGH!" shouted Miss H., causing all the students, including Serena, Mina, and even Amy, to jump in unison. Serena swore that at that moment, she felt the room shake. Suddenly, the room grew silent. Serena knew why people called her scary.

Serena walked down the hall hunched over, Mina at her side.

"I hate school," Serena whined. Mina laughed and patted her back.

"Come on, it isn't all that bad," Mina said in an attempt to console her. Serena responded with a sigh.

The two girls walked outside the school and stopped at the exit. All the busses were parked along the front of the building, students funneling into them. Serena thought they looked like ants walking into the entrance of a hive. Mina turned to Serena and smiled.

"Cheer up Serena," Mina said. Serena couldn't help but smile. Whenever she was with Mina, she couldn't help but be in a good mood. "You guys going to the arcade later?" Serena nodded. "I'll see you later then. Usual time?" Serena nodded again. Mina winked then walked away to her bus. Serena sighed and leaned her back against the cold brick wall of the school.

'I wish I didn't have to wait for Darien,' she thought as she stared down at her pink and white converse sneakers. She noticed a large pebble and kicked it out of the way as she stood straight. Serena decided to go back into the school and find Darien.

"Watch it nerd!" a boy yelled as he bumped into Amy, knocking her backwards and causing the books she was hugging against her chest to fall on to the floor. Quickly, Serena ran over to help her pick them up.

"Are you okay?" Serena asked as she picked up a book and handed it to Amy, who promptly took it.

"I'm sorry," Amy said before running back down the hall, leaving Serena to look at her curiously.

"HEY! What was that for?" A voice yelled, knocking Serena out of her thoughts. She turned to see a girl she had never seen before. The girl was extremely tall with brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. She was wearing a long-sleeved button-down shirt and a long skirt that reached her ankles. She was standing in front of the boy who had knocked down Amy.

"What was what?" the boy asked smugly. Serena noticed other students beginning to gather around to witness the show.

"You know what," the girl replied, brandishing her fist. The boy seemed slightly rattled. "If I ever see you pick on a girl again, I'm gonna make you pay." The girl proved her point by punching the locker next to her, leaving a dent where her fist connected with it.

"I-I'm sorry," the kid said before quickly running past the girl and leaving the school. Right then, the hallway grew alive with students gossiping about what they had just witnessed. The tall girl took a deep breath and sighed, and began walking. That was when she noticed Serena, who was staring at her, star-struck.

"What is it?" the girl asked sternly. For a moment, Serena felt intimidated but quickly shook it off.

"You're so cool," Serena replied to her question, much to the girl's surprise. She blushed and turned her head away. Nobody had ever complimented her in that way before.

"Like seriously!" Serena continued. "Did you see the look on that bully's face?" Serena burst into laughter and the tall girl couldn't help but smile. Serena then held out her hand, much to the tall girl's surprise.

"I'm Serena!" she chirped. The girl looked confused, but then smiled again. She reached out and took Serena's hand.

"I'm Lita," she replied.

"Are you in the ninth grade?" Serena asked.

"No. Seventh grade, red team."

"Wow! You're so tall," Serena said, honestly impressed. "And you're so pretty too. I'm jealous!" Lita's cheeks turned deep red and she laughed nervously.

"Well, not really…" Lita said.

Serena, out the corner of her eyes, noticed a book lying on the floor.

"Oh know," Serena said, horrified. She rushed over and picked up the book. She immediately recognized it as the one Amy was reading in homeroom class earlier that day.

"That girl forgot her book," Serena explained to Lita. "I need to find her." Lita nodded and smiled.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Serena asked.

"Of course," Lita replied, still smiling.

"Hey, you know where Crown is?" Serena asked.

"The arcade, right?"

"Yeah," Serena replied. "I'm going there after school. You should come." For a moment, Lita looked unsure, but them she smiled and nodded.

"Awesome!" Serena said, excited. "We're all going there at five. Don't be late." With that, Serena hurried down the hall the same direction she had seen Amy go before.

Serena hurried down the hall of her Junior High School, holding the book close to her chest. She was not exactly sure where Amy had gone, but had a good idea. After walking down the hall for a while, she found what she was looking for: the library.

Slowly, Serena opened the door to the library. The room was empty of any life. Serena sighed and was closing the door when she heard a sound. She peeked her head in and noticed a single person sitting at the desk on the furthest corner of the room. Even though the girl's head was hanging low, Serena immediately knew it was Amy.

Serena heard the noise again. It was a small, nearly indiscernible sound. Serena listened closely, and it suddenly became clear: Amy was crying. Serena opened the door wider and it made a slight creaking sound. Amy jumped and looked up. Upon seeing Serena, she quickly wiped her eyes the sleeves of her blue dress.

"I'm sorry," Serena said. Amy shook her head and forced a smile.

"I'm okay," Amy said. "It was nothing." Serena stepped further into the room.

"You dropped this," Serena said. Amy saw the book and smiled. Serena walked up to Amy and placed the book on the desk.

"You know," Serena began, "After you ran away, Lita took good care of that bully. You should've seen it. It was so cool!"

"She didn't…hurt him, right?" Amy asked, concerned. Serena laughed.

"Of course not," Serena said. "She just told him off." Amy blushed and looked down.

"She didn't have to do that," Amy said. "I mean, it was my fault anyway." Serena looked at Amy with a look of shock across her face.

"Don't say that!" Serena exclaimed, much to Amy's surprise. "That guy was a huge jerk. You didn't deserve that!" Amy looked up at Serena's serious face and choked with laughter. Serena looked confused, causing Amy to laugh more.

"What?" Serena asked, wide-eyed. She was beginning to wonder if this girl was crazy.

"Your facial expressions," Amy said between laughter. Serena quickly covered her face with her hands.

"I've never seen anybody look so serious." She burst into laughter again. Slowly, Serena lowered her hands, still confused. She looked at the laughing girl and began to laugh herself. The two of them laughed together for several minutes, and when it finally subsided, tears were streaming down both of their faces. Serena wiped her face with the back of her hands and Amy did the same.

"Your name's Amy, right?" Serena asked. Amy nodded. "Is it true that you're super smart?" Amy blushed and looked away.

"I'm not really smart. I just like to study." Serena made a sound like she was gagging.

"I hate studying," Serena said. Serena dropped her head in defeat. "I'm really not that smart though." Amy looked at her for a moment and smiled.

"I can help you with, you know, studying," Amy said. Serena picked up her head and her face lit up. Amy couldn't help but smile at Serena's reaction.

"That'd be awesome!" Serena exclaimed. She laughed for a moment then paused, remembering something.

"By the way, I'm Serena." Amy smiled and stood up.

"My name is Amy. Amy Anderson. It's nice to meet you." The two shook hands.

'She's like, super-polite too,' Serena thought, feeling outmatched.

"Do you know where Crown Arcade is? On Main Street?" Serena asked, excited. Amy placed her index finger on her chin and thought for a moment.

"I think so," Amy said, confused as to why Serena was suddenly asking, and with so much excitement.

"Well they have the best milkshakes in the world. And they got a TON of new games. Also there's that guy Andrew. He's super cute!" Serena giggled. "I'm going there later. You should come with me." Amy's smile quickly disappeared.

"I don't think I can," Amy said, diverting her eyes from Serena.

"Why not?"

"I need to study," Amy said. Serena laughed, causing Amy to look over at her again.

"Nobody studies on the first day of school. You have to go! My friends Mina – you know, that girl who sits behind me – and Raye are going. Oh, and Lita too!" Amy looked genuinely surprised.

"And you want _me_ to go?"

"Of course!" Serena said, laughing. "You're my friend."

"Okay!" Amy said. She smiled brightly and felt tears begin to sting her eyes. "I'll go!" Serena squealed, took Amy's hands, and jumped up and down in excitement.

"Awesome!" Serena said. She lifted her index finger, as if to make a point. "5:00," she said. "Don't be late!" Both of them giggled.

"There you are, Meatball Head," a boy's voice spoke behind Serena. Her eyes narrowed and she turned around. Darien was leaning against one of the book shelves, his arms crossed, grinning from ear-to-ear.

"Don't call me that!" Serena spit, stomping her foot to push her point. She turned her head towards Amy.

"That's Darien," Serena said. "He's a huge jerk!"

"Ouch, Meatball Head. That hurt!" Darien said, followed by a small chuckle.

"Ooh, I can't STAND you!" Serena turned back to Amy. "I need to go deal with this," she turned her head to face Darien, "loser." She began running towards Darien. "Don't be late!" she called behind her. Amy simply waved in response, still smiling. She didn't know it then, but her life would be forever changed at that moment.

* * *

 **Okay, so I have something REALLY good that's going to happen next chapter, and it's really going to get the story going. I know you are all going to love it. Please let me know what you thought.**


	4. Chapter Three: The Promise

**Well here's the next chapter for you guys. I first want to say thank you to all of you who reviewed and/or are following this story. As I promised, things are going to begin to get interesting. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and as always, please review/follow if you like it.**

Chapter Three

The Promise

The doors of the Crown Arcade burst open, causing the old-fashioned bell over the doors ring brilliantly, signaling the coming of a new patron. Every person in the arcade turned their heads instinctively towards the doors, as they did every time the bells rang. Directly across from the main entrance was a long bar counter, a line of stools in front of it, longing to be sat on.

Behind the counter there were soda and coffee machines, as well as a flat-top grill. Next to the grill was a blender which was used to make Crown's "World Famous" milkshakes. To the right were the arcade games. They were mostly classic games from the 80's and 90's, though a few modern ones were in there as well. There was also an old pinball machine, an "Out of Order" sign taped to the front. On the opposite side were a few booths and high-top tables.

Standing behind the counter was a tall boy with dirty-blonde hair. He was wearing a white button-down shirt, over it a white apron with an image of a crown on it. He smiled when he saw Serena enter through the doors. She placed her hands on her knees and took a moment to catch her breath.

"Hey Serena! What's up?" the boy asked. Serena took a final deep breath and stood up. She felt like she had run a marathon.

"Hi Andrew," Serena replied. The doors closed slowly behind her, the change in pressure causing her short white skirt to flutter slightly. Tucked into the skirt was a pink blouse. It was the perfect outfit for a warm spring day.

"They're over there," Andrew said, pointing to the area with the tables. Serena looked over it and saw her friends sitting in one of the booths which sat next to a large window. Amy noticed Serena and waved to get her attention

"Thanks Andrew," Serena said with a sigh. She knew that Raye was going to scold her for being late again. She walked over to the booth and the four girls looked up at her. All of them were smiling except for Raye, who was shooting daggers with her eyes. Serena winced.

"About time you showed up, Meatball Brains," Raye said sarcastically. It was exactly as Serena had imagined. "Maybe I'm wrong, but wasn't it _your_ idea to meet at 5:00? Yet here you come waltzing in _thirty_ minutes late." Serena was wrong; it was worse.

Mina shoved her hand in front of Raye's face, "Don't mind her. She's just mad that nobody asked her to the prom." Raye shoved Mina's hand away from her face.

"And who are _you_ going with?" Raye asked. Mina's eyed grew wide and she laughed nervously.

"Well…it's complicated." The girls all broke out into laughter. Amy moved further into the booth to allow Serena to sit down. The two of them sat across from the other three.

"What about you, Lita?" Mina asked. Lita choked on her soda. Serena laughed and picked up her chocolate milk the other girls had already ordered for her.

"I don't care about those things," Lita said. The table grew silent as the girls stared at her suspiciously. "Wh-what?" Lita asked nervously.

"You know who _did_ get asked?" Serena said, smiling mischievously. "Amy!" Lita, Raye and Mina choked on their drinks in unison. Mina slapped both her palms on the table and stood up.

"Who is it? Tell me!" Mina demanded. Amy blushed furiously and looked down at her drink, fiddling her thumbs.

"Melvin," Amy muttered, barely above a whisper.

"Who?" the other girls asked in unison.

"Melvin asked me," Amy said, now red as a beet. Melvin had a crush on Amy since they had first met in the seventh grade. At that time, he was widely-known as "the nerd". He was short, wore thick "coke-bottle" glasses and had a face full of acne. Now a senior in high school, he had grown tall and handsome. His once chubby face slimmed and he wore contacts in lieu of glasses, revealing his deep blue eyes. Time had surely been kind to him.

"And you said yes, right? Right?" Mina asked. Amy shook her head, causing the other girls to stand in unison.

"WHAT?" they all asked, causing Amy to cringe and Andrew to look over. Amy swallowed and looked at the girls nervously.

"W-well I need to study," Amy explained. She was answered with groans from around the table. "Also," she continued, "I don't like these kinds of things." More groans.

"But every girl wants to go to the prom," Lita said. The other girls – even Amy – turned to face her, their eyes like daggers. Lita blushed and promptly sat down. Amy sighed in relief. Thankfully, Lita's statement took the attention away from her.

"I wish somebody would ask me," Mina said with a sigh, sitting down herself.

"Me too," Serena said. She and Raye also sat down.

"Me three," Lita sighed. The girls all looked at her again.

"Whatever happened to 'I don't care about these things'?" Serena asked, Mimicking Lita's statement from earlier. She didn't respond; she only took a sip of her soda.

"Well I'm not waiting for a guy to ask me," Raye said. She leaned forward, raised her hand and made a clasping motion. "I'm going to catch the guy myself." She laughed maniacally. The girls sighed.

"Oh and what guy are you catching?" Serena asked. Raye looked – dreamily – off in the distance.

"I'm going to ask Darien," Raye said, followed by a sigh. Serena burst into laughter, causing the chocolate milk that was in her mouth to spray out. Her hands immediately stood up, her hands remaining on the table.

"What's so funny, meatballs-for-brains?" Raye shouted. Serena stood up as well.

"Darien is a cool, sophisticated college student," Serena said. "He doesn't have time for some girl off her rocker." She pressed her point by sticking her tongue out. Raye's eyes burned with fire.

"Oh? And he'd prefer some girl with meatballs on her head?" Raye stuck her tongue out as well.

"As if!" Serena said with a look of disgust. "I don't have any of _those_ thoughts about _Darien_."

"What thoughts?" asked a boy from behind her. Raye blushed a brilliant red and quickly sat down. Serena turned down to see Darien. He was wearing a button-down white dress shirt which was tucked into a pair of blue jeans.

"Oh, it's you," Serena said. "And to what do I owe the pleasure?" Darien laughed in response.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Meatball Head. I'm just here to pick up Andrew for our study group." He looked down at the rest of the table, "Hey girls."

"Hi Darien," the girls said, Raye's voice only a faint squeak.

"Yo, Darien! We gotta get going," Andrew called from the entrance.

"I'm off. Nice to see you girls. Later, Meatball Head." Darien walked off towards Andrew. Serena huffed and plopped herself down onto her seat.

"I take it back," Serena said. "You two are _perfect_ for each other." The girls all laughed. Lita folded her arms on the table and leaned forward.

"I can't believe we're all graduating," she said.

"I know," Mina said. "Doesn't it feel like just yesterday that we all met here for the first time?"

"Serena broke the pinball machine," Amy added with a laugh.

"It was all Raye's fault," Serena defended herself.

"That's strange," Raye said, "because I remember you _kicking_ it."

"After you got the quarter stuck in it," Serena spit back. The five of them broke into laughter.

"Those were the good days," Lita sighed. "Now we're all about to go out into the world. It's a little scary." The table fell silent.

"Yeah," Mina said. "Like what's next? We know Amy's going to get into med school."

"Well I've wanted to be a doctor since I was a child," Amy said. "You're going to college, Right?"

Mina nodded, "Yeah, I guess. I think that I could try going for nursing or something. I dunno, but I think I'll be good at it. What about you, Lita? You should do something with baking."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking," Lita said. "Like maybe I could own my own bakery one day. I'd call it 'Lita's Sweet Treats'." She laughed with excitement.

"Well I want to teach children," Raye added. "Maybe an English teacher."

"Just like Miss H.," Mina chimed in. The girls all burst into laughter, except for Raye.

"Who's Miss H.?" Raye asked.

"Our seventh grade English teacher," Serena answered. "She was really scary, just like you." The girls laughed again.

"Well what are _you_ doing?" Raye asked Serena. Serena's laughter suddenly stopped.

"I don't know," Serena responded. The girls all looked at her confused.

"What do you mean?" Mina asked.

"I mean I don't know," Serena said, tears beginning to flow down her face. "I mean, I'm not good at anything. I'm not smart. I'm not—" She was cut off by a sudden, sharp pain against her cheek, which was preceded by an audible 'SMACK'.

"DON'T SAY THAT!" Raye yelled at the stunned girl. She was holding her stinging cheek with her trembling hand. Lita, Amy and Mina looked at Raye in disbelief.

"Don't you ever put yourself down like that again," Raye demanded, tears running down her face.

"Raye…" Serena stammered, tears streaming down her face as well. "I'm sorry."

Lita stood up, "Raye, you didn't—"

"Raye's right," Amy cut in. "Raye didn't have to do it like that, but she's right. You're _not_ stupid! If it weren't for you, we wouldn't all be sitting here right now." Serena's eyes widened. Lita flashed Raye a stern look, but then her face softened and she sat back down. She reached over and placed her hand of Serena's shoulder.

"The only person here who thinks you're stupid is you," Lita said, smiling warmly.

"You're the best Serena," Mina added. "So who cares if you don't know what you're going to do? Do you think any of us _really_ know what's going to happen? I might change my mind; Raye may hate being a teacher; Lita's bakery may burn down." Lita gave Mina a nasty look.

"What I mean," Mina continued, "is it doesn't matter." Serena wiped her eyes and smiled.

"Mina, Amy, Lita, Raye…thank you," Serena said.

"Serena," Raye said, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…"

Serena shook her head, "It's okay. You're right! Starting now I won't feel sorry for myself anymore. That's a promise." The girls all wiped their eyes and nodded.

"We're pretty pathetic, huh?" Lita asked while wiping her tears. They all broke into laughter.

"Hey," Mina said, cutting the laughter short. "Let's make a promise." The other girls all turned to her, interested in what she had to say.

"Let's promise," Mina continued, "that no matter what happens, we'll never forget this."

"Forget what?" Lita asked.

"Let's never forget to do this; the four of us right here. No matter how crazy our lives get, we'll always come back here." The girls all stared at Mina with a look of shock on their faces.

"I promise," Serena was the first to reply, tears stinging her eyes.

"I promise too. Let's never stop coming here," Raye was the second. She placed her hand in the middle of the table, palm down. Serena and Mina placed their hands on top.

"Friends forever, right?" Lita said, adding her hand to the bunch. They all turned to Amy who was smiling widely.

"I would never wish for anything more," Amy said. She placed her hand on top of the others.

Mina looked over at all of her friends and smiled, "It's a promise."

Night came quick and before they knew it, the arcade was closing. The table that they were sitting at was full of empty drinks and red plastic baskets that at one point held burgers and fries; now only remnants and ketchup remained. The girls spent the evening laughing, crying, laughing and eating.

"We should get going," Amy said. The other girls appeared disappointed, but knew that it was time to leave. The final day of school had passed, and graduation was around the corner. None of them wanted to say it, but this night was most-likely going to be the last night they all sat at Crown together as high school students.

"I guess," Lita agreed, hesitating. "I wish we didn't." They were all silent. They stood quietly for what seemed like several minutes. Mina chuckled, causing the others to look at her strangely. Soon Raye followed, then all five of them were laughing hysterically.

"We really _are_ pathetic," Lita said between laughed. They all nodded in agreement.

"I guess we'll talk over the phone," Mina said. The girls nodded again.

The five of them hugged and left the arcade together. Amy, Mina and Lita all lived in the same direction, so they went ahead, leaving Serena and Raye behind.

"Hey, Serena," Raye said to her. The night was cool and a breeze blew through their hair. Clouds filled the night sky, blocking the moon and stars from view. The weather had predicted storms that night, and it looked like it was going to be accurate.

"What's up Raye?" Serena asked. Raye looked down for a moment then looked up at Serena, her eyes fierce.

"When are you going to tell them?" Raye asked. Serena's eyes widened.

"T-tell them what?" Serena stumbled.

"My mom told me. When are you going?" Serena sighed and looked away towards the street. The street lights illuminated the barren streets brilliantly.

"I don't know if I even _am_ going," Serena answered, still keeping her gaze towards the street. "I'm not gonna tell them. Not yet." She turned to Raye again. Raye continued looking at her sternly, but then her face softened.

"Just make sure you let them know, whatever you decide." Serena nodded. Raye looked away and blushed. "I wanted to ask you something too." Serena looked really confused. She had never seen Raye act that way towards her before.

"Raye, you okay?" Raye shrugged as she continued blushing.

"It's Darien," Raye said, much to Serena's surprise. Out of all the things she had expected Raye to say, this was on the bottom of her list.

"Okay?" Serena asked.

"You don't…like him, right?" Raye asked. Serena laughed, which finally made Raye turn and look at her.

"Wh-what?" Raye asked, her face now also red with frustration.

"Darien? No way! Not in a million, no, a TRILLIAN years!" Raye began laughing with Serena.

"Good," Raye said. "'Cause I'm gonna tell him how I feel." She continued laughing, albeit a little nervously. Serena felt slightly taken-back.

"O-okay," Serena said. Raye grinned and began walking away, towards her home.

"And you promise, right?" Raye asked to confirm. Serena nodded and laughed again.

"Of course!" Serena reassured her friend. Raye looked away again for a moment then back at Serena.

"Thanks Usagi," Raye said and laughed. Serena rolled her eyes but then laughed as well. "I'll call you tomorrow, okay?" Serena nodded and Raye walked away towards her home. Serena sighed and looked again at the street lights. She noticed some light rain beginning to fall through the lights. She didn't understand why, but she felt slightly saddened by what Raye had told her.

"Get yourself together, Serena," she told herself. "Like I care about him in that way." Even though she tried to convince herself, she still felt a strange feeling in her chest. It was a pressure that she couldn't describe, and she felt it slowly building more and more, threatening to burst. The rain began to fall harder, knocking her out of her thoughts.

Serena began walking towards her house, but as the rain fell even harder, she began to sprint. CRASH! A loud sound caused her sprint to turn to a full run. A flash illuminated all around her, the light nearly blinding. She yelped and began to run even faster, now in a panic. CRASH! The sound came again, now louder than before. Serena's felt her skin crawl and her hairs standing.

Another flash. Tears were streaming down her face, causing her vision to get blurry. She didn't even know where she was anymore. She didn't know where she was going. She just wanted to be in her bed, warm and out of the rain. CRASH! In fact, the sound was more of a boom. Just then, she felt her foot slip on the wet ground. Her ankle bent a way it wasn't supposed to, and there was a sharp pain.

CRASH! It wasn't the sound of thunder, but the sound of Serena falling onto the ground. She tried pushing herself on her hands and knees, but another flash of lightning came, this time with an immediate crash of thunder. Something was struck. The sound made her fall backwards onto her behind. The rain fell relentlessly, but she no longer cared. Serena brought her knees up to her chest and held them close, shivering and crying.

"Miss, are you okay?" She barely heard the man's voice. Shaking, she turned her head and her hips to look behind her. Darien was standing behind her on the sidewalk, an umbrella in one hand and books in the other. Upon noticing the girl was Serena, he looked stunned.

"Serena? What the hell happened?" Serena jumped to her feet and ran to him. Without a moment's hesitation, she wrapped her arms around him tight and sobbed. Darien stood shocked for a moment, but then dropped his books onto the wet ground and embraced her, making sure to keep the umbrella over her to protect her from the rain.

CRASH! The sound of thunder came again, but she did not jump. Her sobbing slowly began to subside into a light cry, but did not release her grip on Darien the slightest. She felt warm, she felt safe, and she never wanted to let go.

 **What do you guys think? Is Serena's view of Darien going to change? What about her promise with Raye? Please keep reading and you'll find out.**


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